Goat Cheese Fig Walnut Mac Recipes

WALNUT & FIG GOAT CHEESE LOG

Steps:

• In a small bowl, crumble cheese. Stir in figs, 1/4 cup walnuts, pepper and, if desired, honey. Shape mixture into a log about 6 in. long. Roll log in remaining walnuts. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Serve with crackers.

GOAT CHEESE, FIG & WALNUT MAC

Steps:

• 1. Add milk and rosemary to a small lidded saucepan over low heat. Cover for 20 to 25 minutes, allowing herb to infuse. Remove rosemary sprig. 2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boiling. Add gemelli. Cook 10 minutes, or as per package directions; drain and set aside. 3. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Sprinkle in flour, whisking constantly for 2 minutes. Pour in infused milk, whisking until it comes to a boil. Simmer until thickened, about 3 minutes. Crumble in goat cheese, piece by piece, stirring until smooth. Add salt, figs, walnuts and cooked gemelli. Serve immediately.

FIG AND WALNUT TAPENADE WITH GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Combine chopped figs and 1/3 cup water in heavy medium saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat until liquid evaporates and figs are soft, about 7 minutes. Transfer to medium bowl. Mix in olives, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, capers, and chopped thyme. Season tapenade to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.)
• Arrange overlapping cheese rounds in circle in center of medium platter. Stir chopped walnuts into tapenade; spoon into center of cheese circle. Garnish with walnut halves and thyme sprigs, if desired. Serve with breads and/or crackers.

WALNUT AND FIG TAPENADE WITH GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Combine chopped figs and 1/3 cup water in heavy saucepan.
• Cook over medium-high heat until liquid evaporates and figs are soft, about 7 minutes.
• Transfer to medium bowl.
• Mix in olives, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, capers, and chopped thyme.
• Season tapenade to taste with salt and pepper.*.
• Cover and refrigerate.
• Bring to room temperature before serving.
• *This dish can be prepared 2 days in advance.
• Arrange overlapping cheese rounds in the center of a medium platter.
• Stir chopped walnuts into tapenade and place in center of cheese circle.
• Garnish with walnut HALVES and thyme sprigs.
• Serve with great crackers.

GOAT CHEESE AND FIG QUICK BREAD

Steps:

• Center a rack in the oven and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat an 8- to 9-inch loaf pan with baking spray (or butter the pan).
• Cut the goat cheese into 1/2-inch pieces. It's a sticky, messy job, so don't aim for perfection. Refrigerate the cheese until needed.
• In a small bowl, toss together the figs, parsley, rosemary and thyme; keep at hand.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper. Working in a medium bowl, whisk the eggs until blended, then whisk in the milk, oil and honey.
• Pour the wet ingredients over the flour mixture, and, using a sturdy spatula, stir until the dough is almost blended. You'll still see streaks of flour, and that's fine. Scatter the fig mixture over the dough, and then cover with the chilled bits of goat cheese. Grate the zest of the clementine or tangerine over the cheese. Using as few strokes as possible, stir everything together. Once again, it might not be perfect, and, once again, that's fine. Scrape the dough into the pan, and use the spatula to poke the dough into the corners and to even the bumpy top.
• Bake for 34 to 38 minutes or until the top is golden, the cake has started to pull away from the sides of the pan, and, most important, a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Unmold the cake onto a rack, turn it right side up and let it cool. You can serve the cake when it's slightly warm (it's not so easy to cut then, but it's delicious) or when it is at room temperature. Cut into thick slices. Wrapped well, the cake will keep for a day or two at room temperature.